Bioconcentration of Pharmaceuticals

• Residues of human pharmaceuticals have been widely detected in various parts of the environment and trace concentrations are often found in sewage effl uent and surface waters, typically ranging from low ng L-1 to low μg L-1 levels (Lindberg et al., 2005; Nikolaou et al., 2007; Loos et al., 2009). These concentrations, however, are orders of magnitude below the therapeutic concentrations reached in human blood plasma. Thus, the potential for a physiological impact of pharmaceuticals on water-living organisms (such as fi sh) have been questioned. On the other hand, the levels measured in surface waters do not simply mirror the levels encountered by the receptors or enzymes present inside the fi sh living in these waters. Indeed, levels of pharmaceutical in for example fi sh blood plasma is sometimes much higher than the levels in the surrounding water. This can be explained by the concepts of bioconcentration and bioaccumulation.

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